


A Meeting, A Reunion, and A Purple Rose

by bentofaxmachine



Series: The Show of A Lifetime [1]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Adjusted Timeline, Angst, Asshole Teacher, Black Organization (Meitantei Conan), Black Organization Takedown (Meitaintei Conan), Flashbacks, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan Needs a Hug, Mental Health Issues, Sonoko ships shinran, Trust Issues, but make it 2.0, but shinichi is gay, gin and haibara are only mentioned, it has its dark moments btw, no one knows (except for ran)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27076105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bentofaxmachine/pseuds/bentofaxmachine
Summary: It's time for the annual cultural festivals in Japan, and Teitan High School and Ekoda High School are teaming up for the show of a lifetime.  Kaito is excited to see his Tantei-kun after several months, but something is deeply wrong with him.Disclaimer: The timeline has been adjusted slightly so Shinichi can spend more time as Conan and tracking down the Black Organization.  He runs into Gin and Vodka in February of his first year in secondary school.
Relationships: Koizumi Akako/Sera Masumi, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Mouri Ran
Series: The Show of A Lifetime [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1976119
Comments: 6
Kudos: 141





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the shortest chapter by far.

“Say, Inspector Megure, I still haven’t got the name of the thief…” Shinichi trailed off when he saw the man staring intently at the code. He sighed and looked out at the clock tower.  _ Well, I guess that’s a question for another time, _ he thought, gazing at the Tokyo cityscape. A light January snow began to dust the city.

His eyes traveled over to the clock tower. Even as it shrunk further and further away, the clock’s bell was all Shinichi could hear.  _ I have a feeling I will run into the thief soon anyway. _

* * *

“Kaito Kuroba, nice to meet ya!”

A red rose magically appeared in his palm with a soothing  _ pop. _ As he gave the rose to his girlfriend, Aoko Nakamori, he tried to forget the heist he had barely survived. Who was in that headquarters helicopter? It wasn’t Hakuba, who was back in London working on a high profile case he had been bragging about for the week before his departure. Besides, this mysterious detective didn’t behave like Hakuba. They were smarter and faster. More reckless too, he assumed, considering the gunshots which had come from the very helicopter. Someone that cocky had to be in the papers somewhere. He would have to do some research later.

The bell struck 1:00 am. He pointed to the clock head above him and Aoko but didn’t look that way. The helicopter lights became faint, but he was in no rush to follow.  _ I will see you soon, Meitantei-san. _

* * *

The next day a Kudo Shinichi was featured alongside Kaitou KID in on the front page of the newspaper for solving yet another murder in Tokyo.

Three weeks later, the Heisei Holmes mysteriously disappears.

Three months later, Kaitou KID came face to face with an innocent-looking child playing with fireworks way past his bedtime.

Nearly a year later, Shinichi Kudo returned.

But everything had changed since that fateful day at the clock tower.


	2. Chapter 1: Kudo Shinichi, Reborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life as Kudo Shinichi again is painful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The real story begins here.

_1 Year and 9 Months Later_

Kudo Shinichi sat in the back of classroom 3-B with his shoulders hunched and his eyes staring through the window. No one bothered him anymore, so he couldn’t scheme to avoid his classmates to pass the time.

Five months ago, he had stood at the front of his school, feeling strangely unwelcome. When the principal had first led into his new classroom, his teacher introduced himself as Yamaguchi-sensei and told him to introduce himself to the class. Most of the students rolled their eyes at first but realized that he might as well be a stranger. Their once outgoing and cool school mascot simply introduced himself quietly as “Kudo Shinichi. Nice to meet you all again” before rushing to an empty desk in the back of the room. 

No Holmes talk. 

No detective talk.

Not even a peep about his unexplained departure for the past year. 

The only thing he had said was that he had retired as a detective and had no interest in returning to the spotlight. Eventually, his peers stopped bothering him with false kindness or sympathetic glares. There were rumors, of course, but they never reached his ears. These days, only Sera, Sonoko, and Ran were the only people Shinichi would utter a word to at school. He tried to remind himself that this was a good thing, but in reality, his increasing isolation was making him too familiar to the cruel voice in his head.

_… and you know you deserve it._

He felt a familiar smack on his shoulder. Ran was staring at him with an annoyed glare, clearly bothered that he had zoned out yet again. He smiled guiltily and mouthed _sorry_ to his friend, a phrase that had gradually lost its meaning between the two of them. Ran smirked, shook her head, and tossed her hair as she turned back around. 

They did their best to ignore Sonoko’s gaze from across the room. At one point everyone had assumed that it would be the two of them, forever, but his brief time as Conan made it clear that friends were the closest that they would ever get.

First of all, it hadn’t taken very long for Shinichi to realize his attraction to Ran was fabricated so he could keep himself from thinking about men. After New Years Day…

… Oh, yeah. That was the other thing. _You are a shitty person for doing that, you know._

He knows.

Ran turned around again. “Stop exploring your inner monologue and listen to Yamaguchi-sensei.”

He opened his mouth to say something witty, but before he could, he heard the familiar “Kudo-kun, please refrain from distracting my students in class,” the teacher said.

“Sorry, Yamaguchi-sensei,” he muttered sheepishly. Ran gave a teasing stare to Shinichi, and he squinted his eyes in false irritation in return. She smirked and tossed her hair as she turned back around.

Sighing, Shinichi looked up. As their teacher wrote ‘Teitan-Ekoda Tokyo Unity Project’ in neat kanji letters on the blackboard, Shinichi couldn’t help but muse about Ran’s change in behavior. Ever since he had come out to her in tears on his 18th birthday, she had seemed noticeably snarkier to him. It was probably the resolved ‘sexual tension’ between them. 

He finally looked up and began a hastily rehearsed monologue. 

“Okay, for our school’s annual cultural festival this year, the third year students are being given an opportunity to do a joint project with a select few students from Ekoda High School. We are doing this to show that Tokyo stands strong together. This is an exciting opportunity to work with some new people across Ekoda. However, I must warn you that if you choose to do this program, it will be much more work than simply doing an event at our school.”

There were glances and murmurs across the room. None of them were to Shinichi, but he didn’t mind. Yamaguchi-sensei continued.

“The first meeting is Friday afternoon. We are only accepting up to five students to do this, so act quickly if you’re interested. Remember that this is a large commitment, so think before you sign up.”

The grumbles across the classroom rose again from students busy studying. On top of the upcoming competitions among the school’s clubs and their impending college exams, most students muttered that it would take up too much time. 

_But not you. What do you do again? Mope in bed, stare out the window, and watch the world move on without you. How the mighty have fallen, Great Detective._

Shinichi winced at the final words, mocking him cruelly as he tried to shake the voice out of his mind. But now that he thought about it, when was the last time he had woken up without a call from Ran?

The bell finally rang, but Shinichi didn’t leave his desk as everyone else shuffled out of the room. This was routine since Yamaguchi-sensei typically gives him work from his previous teachers on Thursdays. He loathed Thursdays because Yamaguchi-sensei would waste Shinichi’s time with useless and exhausting mind games. This time, however, the three people in this class willing to talk to him walked over, all exchanging conspiratory glances with one another.

“Did I miss something?” he asked, pretending to be irritated. The loneliness gave him too much time to think these days. Sera answered him with an excited voice.

“We signed up for the Ekoda project! Since all of the other projects here seem boring and we’ve heard fun stories about students Ekoda High-”

“-and most importantly, we’ll find Ran-chan a man who will treat her right!” Sonoko finished triumphantly, sneaking a not-so-subtle glance at Shinichi. He pretended to ignore her and looked at the ground.

“I don’t know…” he whispered. All three of them groaned. As Sonoko groaned and marched to the front of the room to obtain the signup sheet, Ran looked at him sadly.

“I think you should do it. We both have extra time available since you stopped doing your detective work and I committed to a college for my karate. Plus, it’ll be fun and you’ll meet new people.” She leaned in a bit. “Shinichi, I don’t know what made you feel otherwise, but you deserve to have happiness in your life. We’ll at least have fun together, so please, will you sign up?”

Shinichi just nodded and smiled at Ran. It’s the least he could do for her.

Just as Sonoko had found the signup sheet, the sliding door to the classroom opened with a _clack._ A disheveled yet familiar figure stood before them.

“Ah, Kudo-sa - I mean Kudo-kun! Nice to see that you’ve decided to rejoin the community!” their teacher said with mock sincerity. Ran, Shinichi, and Sera looked up at Yamaguchi-sensei snatching the signup sheet from Sonoko’s hands. Sera grabbed Shinichi’s shoulder protectively, before quickly letting go when she saw him shift uneasily in his seat. Behind him, Sonoko was silently apologizing in the most aggressive way possible. Shinichi glared as the teacher gently placed the sheet on the table.

“Thank you,” he muttered. Shinichi focused all of his attention on writing his name on the sheet to ignore the angry flush growing on his cheeks. He then stuffed everything into his bag and stalked out of the room, but not before bowing to Yamaguchi-sensei and telling him to have a nice day.

Through the hallways, Sonoko fumed.

“Oi, Shinichi, why won’t you stand up to him? He’s a good-for-nothing newbie who thinks he knows better!”

Shinichi thinned his lips and looked at the ground. The answer went unsaid: the only thing keeping Shinichi in the same year as his friends was his _(former)_ reputation as the Great High School Detective of the East and a generous donation to the school by his parents.

By the time the four of left the school campus, the tension from their encounter with their teacher had already faded away for the girls. They celebrate Shinichi’s milestone of signing up for something by brainstorming fantastical and whimsical options for the festival. As usual, the lively conversation quickly turned to quiet mutters he didn’t bother to eavesdrop on.

He walked home four paces behind the girls to keep an eye on them. He couldn’t help but let his eyes flit to every alleyway or blind spot on the familiar walk home. Every once in awhile, the girls would look back at him, and he would just drop his gaze to the ground.

_You can’t break your old habits, can you? That’s okay, even if they cost you everyone you love, you’ll still have me._

Shinichi shuddered at that.

* * *

“Why does he still act like that?” Sonoko whined. As usual, Shinichi’s glance pierced the three girls as he walked behind them. When he had first returned to school, they tried to include him in their conversations, but it was clear that he couldn’t be bothered to act interested.

Ran sighed. “Leave him alone. The fact that he even signed up for this is a sign that he’s making progress. We just need to give him time.”

“Give him time? What do you think we’ve been doing for the past five months? Besides, we both know that he only signed up because of you,” Sonoko responded, pointing at Ran. “Does that even count as real progress?” 

Masumi quickly stepped between the two before the tension could rise even more. She took a deep breath and spoke.

“I know it’s not our place, but maybe we should consider looking for professional help? It helped me a lot when…” she trailed off at the sight of two uncomfortable glances coming from the other two. “Never mind,” she muttered, shaking her head. Spending so much time overseas had made her forget about the mental health stigma here. She glanced back at Shinichi, who seemed suddenly interested in cracks on the sidewalks. _Please, someone, help find him help,_ she silently begged to no one, before rejoining the girls’ conversation.

As their banter became lighthearted again, they decided to stop at a convenience store selling special-edition bentos. Ran offered to buy Shinichi one, but before he could respond, a scream rang out from the back of the store. All four of them tensed, and Masumi sprinted towards the sound. Ran’s heart ached as she saw her best friend rooted to the ground, hands shaking furiously.

“Why don’t you go home?” she said kindly. “Get out of here before they close off the exits. Sera-chan is an expert at this point, and we’ll be safe.”

He nodded and nearly sprinted home. He didn’t notice that Ran had followed him the entire way back.

* * *

Shinichi hardly remembered making his way back to his neighborhood. He stumbled past the familiar stores, restaurants, and bus stops. He aggressively kept his eyes on the road when he passed the now-demolished Agasa residence. Painful memories resurfaced.

_“Don’t try calling for help, Kudo Shinichi. Your lovely neighbor is long gone and Sherry is… safe with us.” Gin’s voice snapped him out of a drugged haze. It took him a moment to take in the news that his captor had just gleefully revealed to him._

_The now grown-up detective felt tears catching into his blindfold. He would never hear Agasa-Hakase be chastised for his diet or reveal a new invention again. Shinichi desperately tried to lunge forwards but choked loudly against the restraint tethering him to the bar above him. Through his hacking, Gin laughed sadistically._

_“All you have to do is give up your rats, you know,” he heard as the closet door closed._

_The humiliation of being captured in his house was replaced with mourning for his friends. No one he knew was safe, but there was no way to warn them. With his parents in America, he had no one left to save him. Had he been more careful, this could have all been avoided._

_It would be easier to give in and die. But at what cost? Keep living, he told himself, praying that the same people he was supposed to give up would come and save him._

Feeling tears prickle his eyes, Shinichi willed himself to forget and ignore it all and jammed his key into the door’s lock. He deliberately avoids the library, kitchen, and that same closet and makes a beeline for his bedroom. By the time he throws himself on his be, the tears were falling freely. He opened his last text to Haibara before she had left for the Witness Protection Program.

Are you sure that you can’t stay? I’m going 

to miss my roommate…

[Read - 21:05]

I know this is hard, but it’s not safe

to live here. This has been a long time

coming. It has been an honor working

with you, Kudo-kun.

[21:07]

Thank you for everything. I’ll miss you. 

[Delivered - 21:10]

Shinichi wonders if Haibara even saw his last text to him.

He should really delete those texts. It would make everything go away faster. But every time he tried to, his finger would freeze over the delete button.

Too much loss. Too many lies. _And it’s all your fault._ Anyone who had lived a life even half as eventful as his own would have given up the detective lifestyle, too.

He lied on his bed and didn’t move until Ran’s routine phone call the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of things: 
> 
> 1\. I have no idea if scholarships in Japan are actually a thing  
> 2\. Regarding Yamaguchi-sensei switching from "-san" to "-kun" when addressing Shinichi: using "-san" becomes standard for both men and women at around secondary school. By changing the suffix halfway through, the teacher is basically saying he doesn't respect Shinichi enough to use a professional suffix.  
> 3\. Mental health is complicated. Please remember that maintaining your mental health is as important as your physical health. Take care of yourself :)
> 
> A final note: I don't have a beta or anything, so I primarily rely on Grammarly for my editing. If you see any inconsistencies or typos, feel free to let me know!


	3. Chapter 2: An Awaited Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ekoda kids meet the Teitan kids. Or, in Kaito's case, he pretends to introduce himself to people he has disguised as.

Kuroba Kaito had been waiting for Friday all week. He had heard about the Teitan-Ekoda Tokyo Unity Project on Monday and nearly begged his friends to join with him.  _ Finally a chance to meet my Tantei-kun,  _ he thought. The last time they had seen each other was on the first anniversary of their first official meeting, which had ended rather tragically with a one-sided identity reveal.

Kaito wondered if Conan - no - Kudo Shinichi would recognize him without the monocle or top had.

Aoko had signed up without question. Hakuba gave him a confused look, but Kaito casually mentioned the Great Detective of the East, which caused him to raise his eyebrows and make a show out of reluctantly signing his name. Of course, Kaito had no idea if Kudo would be involved in this project. Akako said nothing, but smirked at Kaito as she signed the sheet.

Damn witch. She totally knew.

Hakuba offered to give the four of them a ride to Teitan High School. Kaito found himself squeezed into the middle seat between Aoko and Akako. He didn’t realize that it would be such a struggle to keep himself from activating his knockout gas in the back seat.

“Don’t do magic at Teitan. We’re representing Ekoda and need to make a good first impression,” Aoko instructed.

“Why bother with a good impression, though? Every student in Tokyo knows what happens in our school. I’ve literally heard people call Ekoda High the prank capital of Tokyo!” He puffed his chest out proudly as he grinned winningly at Aoko.

That charm didn’t work on her though. Aoko smacked him in response. “I’m making dinner tonight, you know, and I can always change my mind and make something more-” she sucked in her cheeks and puckered her lips instead of finishing the statement. Kaito flinched and raised his hands in resignation, muttering  _ Ahoko _ just loudly enough for his friend to stick his tongue out at him in return.

“Don’t worry about it Nakamori-san, I’m sure Kuroba-kun will behave,” Akako cut in, “If not, I’ll curse him for his next heist.”

“For the last time, I’m not KID!” he exclaimed loudly. Everyone ignored him in favor of talking about the recent developments in his heists.

“It’s odd though. My father has been going crazy at these heists because apparently, the thief has completely disappeared! The heists keep happening, but no one has seen him in months,” Aoko pondered.

“I think he’s at every heist and just exclusively uses disguises now,” Hakuba responded. He turned around and gave Kaito a knowing smile, which he returned with a confused grimace.  _ Pompous asshole. Poker Face. _

“Maybe,” Kaito said slowly, “KID became a ghost! He is the Phantom Thief after all.”

The rest of them burst out into laughter. Kaito rolled his eyes. Sure, he had stopped donning the white suit at his heists once Tantei-kun stopped showing up, but that didn’t give them the right to slander him! After Conan disappeared, he had no audience worth performing to. Besides, preparing a magicians heist takes half the time as a normal one did. Hakuba wasn’t even good enough to catch him to begin with anyway. 

The magician crossed his arms childishly. “I’m taking my bike next time,” he muttered, to which Hakuba responded “Good”.

Finally, Baaya had reached Teitan High School. They all stumbled out of the vehicle after thanking her and approached the front doors. Switching into slippers, the Ekoda kids entered and Hakuba rapped on the door labelled ‘Teacher’s Room’ and got a response of  _ please wait a moment! _ in return.

The four of them exchanged impersonal glances with the passing students. Aoko looked around self-consciously. “Why is everyone staring at us?”

“Our uniforms. They know we’re from a different school and that’s not entirely normal. Besides, I’m pretty sure only third-years know about the Unity Project, so they don't know why we’re here either,” Kaito responded clearly distracted. He ignored Aoko’s nod as he looked down the halls himself. 

“Who are you looking for?” Akako smirked.

“Shut up. I’m not looking for anyone… or anything for that matter,” Kaito responded. He was about to retaliate even further when Aoko grabbed his wrist and reminded him “no magic tricks today” with a threatening glare. 

Hakuba laughed at his friend’s misfortune.

Finally, a teacher joined them in the hallway and waved them forwards as he stalked across the school without introduction. The four students tried their best to keep up with a shuffling combination of jogging and speed walking. When they finally reached their room labeled “3-A”, the teacher finally turned around and introduced himself to the panting teenagers.

“I’m Yamaguchi-sensei. Sorry if I just come off as cold today, but there have been some sudden developments in my work which means that I won’t be able to help you guys out today. I have four students joining you guys. They’re all brilliant, but one of them…” He checked his watch and cursed profusely, much to the horror of the students.

“Sorry! Sorry, I’m not typically like this. They’re great kids, so don’t worry. Sorry,” he repeated as he began to go back the way they came, “I’m just really busy right now.”

As they watched him disappear down the hall, they couldn’t help but be disgusted by the teacher’s behavior. Only Aoko vocalized it though, muttering “rude” as she opened the sliding door into the classroom.

There were already three girls their age in the room. They had already arranged 8 desks in a circle and placed name tags on each of them. Kaito had to work extra hard to act cool when he found that “Kuroba Kaito” was placed between “Kudo Shinichi” and “Koizumi Akako”. Akako didn’t matter right now, though. Kudo did.  _ It must be destiny _ .

Kaito recognized all of the girls. At least one of them had accompanied Conan to every heist except for the Kirin’s Horn one. 

Mouri Ran, the kindhearted one with an alleged crush on Shinichi. Looks like Aoko. He had borrowed her face before.

Suzuki Sonoko, the loud brunette and heiress to the mass Suzuki fortune. He had also borrowed her face during a bet between him and her karate boyfriend.

Sera Masumi, the flat-chested high school detective. He had also borrowed her face, but made the fatal mistake of assuming that she was a guy. She has a strong and painful kick.

He went up to each of their seats and presented them with roses with varying gradients of pink to purple. As he returned to his seat, he introduced himself. 

“I’m Kuroba Kaito, the magician extraordinaire of Ekoda High School! It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He finished with a winning smile. 

Sonoko clasped her hands together. “You’re a magician? Then you must have heard something from my KID-sama! He’s simply disappeared and I worry for him every day.”

_ If only you knew. _

Hakuba snickered. “This magician thinks that Kaitou KID became a ghost, so he is probably not the right person to ask.” Before Kaito could come up with a witty retort, Hakuba began to introduce himself. “Hakuba Saguru, detective. I have come from London to finish up my studies here in Tokyo, to build my reputation as a detective in Japan.”

“Nakamori Aoko. My father is actually in charge of the KID heists, you know, and it’s driving them all crazy! Anyways, I’m anti-KID because my father is never home during his heists, and there’s just so many more lately.”

Kaito lowered his head to hide his frown. His gut twisted with guilt every time Aoko talked about catching KID; it ended up being part of the reason why he had broken up with her last year.

“I am Koizumi Akako. A witch at your service, pleasure to meet you all.” Akako’s face was plastered with a seductive smile. To Kaito’s surprise, it wasn’t aimed at him for once, but rather at Sera-san who sat next to her. To both of their surprise, her charm was worthless against her. Akako’s bewildered eyes met Kaito’s, and he couldn’t help but snicker.

Suddenly, the door opened with a clatter. Kudo Shinichi, escorted by Yamaguchi-sensei, walked into the room and slumped into the desk next to Kaito’s. Everyone’s eyes were on the teacher's quick exit, but Kaito couldn’t take his eyes away from the boy who just sat next to him.

Kudo Shinichi, frankly, looked like shit. His once shining cerulean eyes were a dull silver-blue and defined by large shadows under each one. His pallor was distinct, and he was just short of emaciated. This was not the same person he had parted ways from back on April Fools day. 

The last time they had met was the 1 year anniversary of their first meeting at the Haido City Hotel. There, Conan had revealed his identity to KID as Kudo Shinichi in a desperate bid to get the thief to reveal himself as well. Kaito remembers approaching the young child and kneeling before him.

“Tantei-kun, even as my favorite critic, you still have to chase after me.”

_ Oh, Tantei-kun, what have they done to you? _

The single question echoed in his head until Akako tapped his shoulder. She reached over to whisper in her ear.

“We need to talk later,” she said. He looked up in confusion. With the witch, it could be about anything. He nodded and returned his attention to the boy next to him.

  
“I’m Kaito Kuroba, a magician. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” He revealed a deep purple to Shinichi, who took it reluctantly and placed it at the end of his desk. He seemed fixated on the color, so Kaito sheepishly mentioned that “sorry, I ran out of the other color” while gesturing to the girl’s roses. It was partly true. Kudo’s eyes met his for the first time. His smile seemed labored.

“I’m Kudo Shinichi,” he said as a means of introduction.

That’s it? Were they missing something?

Kaito was about to ask, but Aoko beat him to it. “Aren’t you that famous detective who disappeared? Also, is that teacher always so rude?”

“ _ Retired _ detective,” he corrected. It was clear that no explanation would follow, as he was looking over desperately at Mouri-san for some kind of help.

“Sorry about him,” Mouri-san said. “He’s a new teacher at our school. Became our homeroom teacher during our second year and stuck with us this year too,” she explained.

Sera-san shook her head. “That doesn’t mean he gets to be an asshole to us, though. The students have reported him a number of times, but he only gets reprimanded and releases a statement about treating people with kindness every time. You learn to deal with it. But poor Kudo-kun,” she said, looking over at the zoned out boy, “Yamaguchi-sensei absolutely loathes him. He’s probably just bad with change but…” she sighed, but never finished her statement. After a beat of silence, Mouri-san began speaking again.

“A-anyways, we're so excited to be working with you guys! Thank you for coming all this way, we really appreciate it.” She looked around with kind and genuine eyes before continuing. “Um, I know that ideally, we would come up with an idea together, but Sonoko-”

“A play!” Sonoko interrupted enthusiastically. She scrunched her face at Ran’s playful glare but continued to speak anyway. “We’re going to make the sequel to my play from last year! I wrote it all by myself, with a princess and a knight as star-crossed lovers...”

As Sonoko rambled on, Kaito snuck another glance at Kudo. His uniform was all wrinkled and the sleeves covered half his palm. With his head hanging down as he wrote, the shadows under the former detective’s eyes intensified. Kaito’s brain racked. If he’s no longer solving cases into the night, then what’s causing those shadows?

“-and Kaito can play KID, if he’s  _ not too busy staring at Kudo-kun, _ ” Aoko finished. Kaito perked up at the work “KID” and looked around wildly. The Ekoda students were all staring at him with barely concealed laughter in their eyes. Sera-san was looking at him with a suspicious glare.

“Shit, sorry. I wasn’t listening. What’s going on?”

He glanced over Shinichi’s shoulder at what he was writing down. Shinichi looked at him oddly and shifted away.

“Oh, sorry,” Kaito muttered. He backed away and gestured at the paper. Shinichi rolled his eyes and handed it over to him. On top with neat lettering was “KID vs. the Black Knight: Battle for the Princess’ Heart” with a brief description of each character.

Kaito skimmed the paper and looked up.

“Okay, this story sounds great and all but… what’s the appeal of putting KID in there? Also, are you sure that you don’t want to do an original story?”

Sonoko sighed. Kaito scolded himself for not listening to her rambling before.  _ Don’t let Tantei-kun distract you again. _

“Everyone wants to see KID-sama again! This is the perfect chance to draw him out.”

_ I’m right here, you know. _

“Also, everyone wants to see it! The thrilling conclusion to the princess of Teitan -” (Ran blushed and shook her head) “- and her great protector’s-” (Shinichi shifted uncomfortably in his seat) “-love story! It will be perfect! We just have to get through the play without another murder-”

She never got to finish her statement, eyes suddenly filling with an uncharacteristic amount of guilt. Shinichi’s cloudy eyes went cold and he stalked out of the room. Ran gave a genuine glare towards Sonoko this time, who shrunk away from her gaze and dropped her head onto her desk. 

Sera looked up and smiled apologetically at the Ekoda students.

“I’m sorry you had to see that. It’s not my place to say what happened, but I think we should cut this meeting short. Kudo-kun’s notes are pretty concise, so this is a good place to stop anyways.

“We have another meeting planned on Tuesday…So I guess everyone should think about something new to add and we’ll regroup then.” Sera-san turned around to comfort a distraught Sonoko, and the Ekoda kids took it as a cue to leave. As they left, Kaito caught Akako’s longing glance at the flat-chested teen.

Exiting the classroom, Kaito swept the hallway out of habit. It was by chance that he saw Mouri-san’s long hair disappear down the other end of the hallway.  _ Thank you, Lady Luck!  _ Intrigued, he started to walk in the same direction.

“Kuroba-kun, where are you going?” Hakuba asked. Kaito hesitated for a moment.

“To the restroom, I’ll be back in a couple of minutes,” he responded dismissively, not looking back.

“I think there was one by the lobby…” 

Kaito was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Please check in with me about typos and discontinuities.   
> 2\. This is all I have written so far. Never fear, I've literally got 5 arcs and several side plots all planned out at the moment. Just give me some time.


	4. Chapter 3: The Magician Saves His Dove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito and Shinichi speak for the first time. Kaito vows to himself to make his favorite critic trust him again. There's also a witch.

Kaito kept a safe distance from Mouri-san as he snuck down the hall. She had her hand to her chin, clearly deep in thought. Her mannerisms were beginning to mirror Kudo’s, Kaito observed, a sign that they had spent a ton of time together lately. He ignored the twinge of jealousy in his gut.

Continuing down the hall, utilizing the new skills he had acquired when KID had disappeared into thin air. Disappearing into the shadow and carefully placing every step, he couldn’t help but muse about his past. _To think every heist was once a show_ . He pushed his luck and snuck up on her even more. _Mouri-san is too distressed to notice me anyway_ , he deduced.

Eventually, she stopped in front of a door with an indication that said “restroom” on it. As if routine, she began to bang on the door and call for Shinichi. Kaito strained his ears to hear what was going on. Between the knocking, he only heard Mouri-san speaking, but he had a feeling that there was nothing coming from the other side.

“Shinichi, are you okay? Can you hear me? Shinichi, please talk to me…”

As he waited for a chance to approach them, Kaito thought back. Kudo had left the room when Sonoko mentioned a murder that happened last year at Teitan High School’s annual cultural festival, but he hadn’t heard of such a thing, not even through rumors. Tantei-kun had even come to a heist around that time. _The second week of November_ , he recalled. He took out his phone. According to their peer’s blog from the week of the festival, the play’s highlights included a princess, a knight, and a mysterious resurrection… but why was there no information about a fucking _murder_? Or Kudo Shinichi, the school’s “mascot” who had notably disappeared? They seemed like rather important things to point out, and more importantly, topics that would guarantee a blog virality.

Kaito’s eyes wandered to the time. _Shit, already this late?_ He’d play detective later. In an instant, Kuroba Kaito disappeared and was replaced with KID. He dialed Hakuba and began to walk towards Ran. The detective picked up on the first ring.

_“Kaito, what’s taking you so long? Don’t tell me you’re planting smoke bombs in the building.”_

He gasped dramatically, “Hakuba-kun, how dare you to assume such a thing!! Although, be careful of your desk tomorrow morning.”

_“Wha-”_

“Anyways, I’m going to take the train home so don’t wait for me. Bye!”

Elongating his “bye”, he hung up before Hakuba even had a chance to respond. At that moment he ran into Mouri-san. As always, KID’s timing was impeccable.When Mouri-san looked at him, her eyes immediately narrowed, indicating that he should leave right now.

“Did you get lost? I can help you get back to the lobby if you would like,” she said. Kaito pretended to ignore the signs that he should turn around. He smiled sheepishly and reached for the door.

“Actually, I was looking for the restroom. Would he mind if I went in real quick?”

Her lips narrowed, clearly losing patience with him. “I’m not sure if-”

“Kudo-kun?” Kaito interrupted, obnoxiously rapping on the door. He waited a moment, and when there was no response, he turned around to face Mouri-san and promised, “Don’t worry, I won’t talk to him or anything unless he approaches me. I just really have to pee.”

The magician gave another quick smile and went in.

* * *

He definitely should have said something, because the last thing he needed was a nosy idiot seeing him fighting his tears while leaning against the wall of a windowless restroom. Shinichi tried to banish Conan Edogawa from his mind, but he knew any effort would be futile because-

_All that time lying to your friends…_

That voice wouldn’t shut the hell up.

_You can’t forget it._

He shut his eyes and shook his head, but all he could see were Ran’s betrayed eyes, brimming with tears.

_All that time following the trail of corpses._

The sad eyes morphed into anonymous, cold ones staring through his own. He felt his breathing quicken and let the tears spill from his eyes.

_All that time making people chase after you._

The FBI and the police, watching him ‘for his safety’ when all he wanted was to be left alone.

Frustrated, he slammed his fist to the ground. An involuntary “Fuck!” left his lip as he watched the blood slowly bloom around his knuckles. 

Suddenly aware of the sound of running water, he looked up at the other person in there with him. A boy with unkempt hair in an unbuttoned uniform from a different school. Kuroba Kaito, a magician, he recalled. Self-conscious, Shinichi tried to hide his bleeding hand. The other boy was unbothered, though, and rummaged his pocket for a handkerchief.

“You alright?” He asked, handing it over.

“Yeah, fine,” he muttered in response, averting his gaze to avoid the other boy’s calculating eyes. In his injured hand, he grasped the handkerchief in a closed fist. Kuroba-kun opened his mouth to respond, but quickly shut it and scratched his head. In his right hand, he procured a bottle of antiseptic cleanser and a roll of bandages. He reached out for Shinichi’s hand but froze, as if remembering something.

“May I…” he muttered, gesturing at his hand. _Oh right. From before._ Shinichi nodded indifferently and did his best not to flinch at Kuroba-kun’s nimble touch. The antiseptic stung at first but left a cool sensation after a moment.

“Do all magicians know first aid?”

The magician chuckled softly, but he remained silent otherwise. With professional efficiency, he tightly wrapped Shinichi’s hand and secured the bandage with a couple of bandage clips.

As soon as Kuroba-kun was finished, Shinichi jerked his hand away from the boy, protecting it close to his chest. The other boy remained crouched and for a moment, wide cerulean eyes met guarded indigo ones. There was something about those eyes… 

The moment was broken when Kuroba-kun stood up and turned away from him.

“Don’t lie. Not to me, at least. You won’t get away with it.”

Shinichi’s eyes tracked him as he went over to the door. All he wanted was to be left alone again, and by the time he opened his mouth to say so, Kuroba Kaito had already disappeared.

Shinichi clenched his jaw. Some stranger had no right telling him not to lie. 

_Damn thief._

He froze. Thief?

He closed his eyes, trying to remember, but those indigo eyes interrupted every coherent thought in his mind. He sat there for a few more minutes, waiting for the voices by the door to fade away. Finally, he stood up and went to the door. He told Ran that everything was okay because it was for now. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it protectively, and the two of them left school as the sun was setting.

Halfway back, Ran looked over at Shinichi. “Kaito-kun seemed nice, right? I had a nice conversation with him when he left the restroom.” Her eyes traveled to the clean bandage wrapped neatly around his right hand.

Instinctively, Shinichi ran his other hand over the broken skin protected by it. “Yeah…”

Ran huffed, clearly hoping for an explanation, but Shinichi was already scanning his memory for those same eyes, frustrated by the familiarity. 

Those deep eyes filled his mind the rest of the way, indigo consuming him to the point where he didn’t look up from the ground until he was at the Kudo manor’s doorstep. Instead of starting on the extra work Yamaguchi-sensei had given him, he stared at the moon, which was nearing a full moon. Shinichi almost began to resent the Kuroba-kun. He wished that the magician didn’t make him miss Kaitou KID, his only pure memory as Edogawa Conan.

The memories he was searching for were frustrating and just out of reach, but for the first time in a while, Shinichi’s sleep wasn’t disrupted by the nightmares and memories which typically haunted him.

* * *

Kaito closed the restroom door behind him. An iron grip trapped his wrist before he could even take another step. Before he could say anything, Mouri-san got straight to the point.

“You’re not just a magician, are you?”

He froze. _Fuck, did I slip up that badly?_ “Wha-”

“You cause problems, too. You’re some kind of… master of chaos.” He couldn’t help but smirk proudly at that. Mouri-san’s eyes softened a bit.

“Listen, we don’t really mind it. Our school is pretty tame compared to the rumors from your own, but we appreciate jokes and pranks when done tastefully. But no one really knows what happened to Shinichi, so if you mess with him in any way, just know that he has people who will stay loyal to him regardless.”

Kaito was wondering if this was supposed to be a threat. He didn’t plan to cause problems for the former detective to start with, and he didn’t quite know what he was supposed to be threatened by. _She’s too nice to be doing this._ Humoring her, Kaito nodded solemnly and promised, “I won’t hurt him. He’ll have no jokes at his expense. And if it comes down to it, I’ll protect him.” He said the last sentence looking straight into Mouri-san’s eyes, because he truly, really meant it. 

Satisfied, Mouri-san released the pressure on his wrist and smiled apologetically. “It’s been a while since he’s really spoken to new people. We got lucky that you guys are so friendly, but I just feel so… protective of him. But it seems like we’re going to spend a lot of time together, so I really hope that he’ll learn to trust you in the end.”

“Maybe Lady Luck brought us together, Mouri-san,” he tried to joke, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach and the desperate implication of those words.

Mouri-san had the grace to laugh. “Maybe. And you can just call me Ran, you know. I don’t mind.”

Ran handed him a piece of paper with three numbers on it. “Those are our phone numbers, so we can keep in touch between meetings. Sorry, but Shinichi doesn’t give him to many people. It’s a privacy thing.”

He took the numbers and smiled gratefully. He even took a picture of it, in case he accidentally lost the paper.

“If that’s the case, then please call me Kaito. I’ll make sure to give this to the others. And Kudo-kun is very lucky to have someone like you in their life.”

Mouri-san blushed and waved him off. He couldn’t help but hope that it would put him in better graces of Mouri-san, Kudo-kun’s… girlfriend? He’s still not entirely sure what’s going on.

As he exited the school, one line repeated nonstop. _I really hope that he’ll learn to trust you in the end._ It was a cruel reminder that Kaito had to start over with Kudo. Turning the corner, he mourned a year's worth of banter and painstakingly planned “chance meetings”. Becoming friends with his Kudo (again) would be an uphill battle. But he can do it, and he’s going to work for it. There’s not much KID wouldn’t do to be reunited with his Tantei-kun.

He reached a busy intersection and looked up at the sky. It was cloudy, but the sun was beginning to set. The moon was a waxing gibbous, meaning that it was time for a heist soon. He groaned. They were getting to be tedious at this point. It had recently occurred to him that Pandora was not in Japan, which had resulted in him locking himself in his KID room for 3 days, desperately doing research in an anxious haze. He missed Kudo coming to the heists. He wondered if the former detective felt the same.

For now, all he needed was to make the detective smile. At this point, he would be content if Kudo didn’t look like a wild animal when their eyes met. Maybe a Holmes book would do for now. Even if he has them all… 

He looked up the directions to a nearby bookstore by the station. Thank goodness for his above-average directional awareness, because Kaito is certain that anyone else would have missed the store. Beika’s Finest was hidden in an alley with a thin cobblestone road which was uncharacteristic of Tokyo. The door creaked as he pressed it and revealed a dimly lit interior with lush carpeting, flickering electric candles, and rows of mahogany shelves that lined the walls. It smelt familiar, too: of old books and warm coffee. It reminded Kaito of the days he spent perusing the Kudo house’s library.

The only sound in the store was from the ticking second hand on a fancy, old-fashioned clock. Kaito was shocked to see that the store was empty. _It’s open though, the website told me that much._ He read the meticulously detailed labels at the top of each aisle and entered the section titled “Mysteries”. Kaito went straight to the collection of foreign language novels, knowing exactly what to look for. 

Kaito was muttering “Doyle, Doyle, Doyle…” as he traced his finger along each of the spines of each book. When he got there, Kaito was immediately overwhelmed by the huge selection of Holmes novels in every language, edition, and condition. Not knowing what to look for, he grabbed a faded copy of _Sign of Four_ which had first caught his eye _._ While looking for another book to get Kudo, he didn’t notice the person next to him before they had run into each other.

“Sorry, I-” he looked up. “Akako?”

She smiled. “I told you we have to talk. There’s no one else here. Now seems like the perfect time.”

He recovered quickly. _Remember, Poker Face._

“Sorry, but I’m busy righ-” 

Akako, clearly exasperated, shoved a copy of _The Hound of Baskervilles_ in Kaito’s face. 

“There, now you’ve found what you are looking for,” she said with a threatening aura. Kaito clutched the two books tightly.

“Now, let me speak,” she ordered. She waved her hands impatiently. On cue, the clock stopped ticking, making Kaito’s blood run cold. He opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes rounded in horror to find that his body was frozen in that exact position. Akako smirked.

“Just because my charm and seducing smile are ineffective against the Kaitou KID doesn’t mean that you are immune to my curses, Kuroba-kun,” she began. He tried to glare, irritated that he couldn’t defend himself.

“Before I begin, I must remind you that I come to you in peace. Now, I believe that it is necessary to discuss matters between you and Kudo-kun,” she began. “As we both know, he lived for the past year under the alias of Edogawa Conan. What you don’t know is that he spent that year fighting a murder of cold and unforgiving crows. Although this darkness has fallen, it has not come without a price. The dove, a once force to be reckoned with, has had his wings clipped and is falling hopelessly. Furthermore, once the crows who stayed in the nest when their fathers grow their wings, he will no longer stand a chance.

“I must remind you that these are not the same clouds that surround your precious moonlight. However, I believe that only a magician can protect his dove as fiercely as it needs.” She waved her hands again and everything was reanimated. Her voice lost all of the gravitas it normally held.

“I’ve seen the future. Without you, he’ll have no one to catch him. I am proposing an alliance. Become Kudo-kun’s protector, and in return, I will refrain from using my spells or curses until the greater evil is defeated. I’ll even keep Hakuba from suspecting you, if it helps you protect Kudo-kun. But another murder of crows is hunting your dove, denser and sharper than anything he dreams of.

It took a moment for Kaito to reorganize his thoughts. _She’s as vague as ever._ But Kaito knew of Akako’s contempt for “fake magic”. The witch would never suggest an alliance between the two unless the situation was truly dire. Conversely, he would never accept this offer unless it was serious.

“He’s not my dove, you know. And you still don’t know if I’m actually KID.”

Akako sounded painfully human when she responded, “In another life, he trusted you. In this one, he could again.” After a brief pause, she added, “Also, please stop underestimating the power of basic logic and omnipotent magic.”

Kaito laughed humorlessly. 

_In another life, he trusted you._

With a deep, shaking breath and the suavity of the Midnight Thief, revealed a blue rose. 

Blue: the color of unity.

Blue: the color of Kudo Shinichi’s once bright eyes.

KID met the witch’s eyes. “It would be my honor, Ojou-san.”

* * *

Akako returns to her mansion and throws her bag into her servant’s arms.

“M...Ma’am, did you have a nice day today? I felt you use your magic this afternoon… I don’t need to warn you about using magic in public again, do I?” he said as he made Akako’s bag disappear.

She smirked and said “Of course,” even though she hadn’t listened to a single word. As her servant trailed behind her, the witch marched downstairs and dramatically threw on a cloak. With her crystal ball, she manifested Kaito, who was fiddling with a coin on the train. Her thoughts went back to the end of their conversation. 

_She accepted her rose with a smirk. “I’ve always dreamed of accepting one of these, you know.”_

_“Well,” Kaito responded, “Just ask the flat-chested chick.”_

_Akako flushed before narrowing her eyes. “What will your silence cost me?”_

_“Information on Kudo’s relationship with Ran-san. I’ll even help you seduce Sera-san if you tell me what he thinks of me.”_

_“They’re friends. He thinks that KID is a criminal. Hold up your end,” she responded, quickly disappearing around the corner before she could be asked any more questions._

Of course, she had been ambiguous, because Shinichi’s secrets and stories weren’t hers to tell. Besides, there was no fun in clean-cut answers, It had been cathartic to tease the magician after he ignored so many prophecies.

Akako turned her attention to Kudo Shinichi. As usual, the boy was lying in bed, but today, his eyes were focused and present. Notes on Kaitou KID surrounded him, covering his obviously neglected homework _._ Even retired, the boy was one hell of a detective. She knew that he secretly missed the thrill of helping others with his skills, but he would have to take time to come to terms with that. 

_Okay KID, there’s not much more I can do. It’s all up to you now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! We reached the end of Part 1. This chapter was difficult because it had the least established plot in my mind, so I spent a ton of time rambling and editing down. I'm not great at writing in general, so I hope that you guys enjoyed it through the shitty characterization and stuff. Again, let me know if there are any inconsistencies or grammatical errors.
> 
> Part 2 is called "The Writer's Room", as the Ekoda and Teitan begin to officially start writing their script and brainstorming new and exciting ideas. It's mostly planned out, but I still have to write it. For now, stay safe and wear your masks!

**Author's Note:**

> Long fic woohoo!


End file.
